The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is conducting a case review into Hunter S. Thompson’s death, more than 20 years after the legendary and eccentric writer died in 2005 in his secluded home near Aspen.
The review was launched following a request from Thompson’s widow, Anita, and is being conducted to “provide an independent perspective” on the 2005 investigation, a CBI spokesperson said Tuesday.
Thompson, widely known for his unconventional, first-person style of reporting known as gonzo journalism, was found dead at the age of 67 in his home in Woody Creek, a small town north of Aspen, in February 2005.
The original investigation found he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound from a .45-caliber handgun. His son, who was in another room at the time, found Thompson’s body in the kitchen, the Aspen Times newspaper reported in February 2005.
It was not immediately clear why authorities believe his cause of death is in question.
Sheriff Michael Buglione, in a statement, said that while there is no new evidence suggesting foul play, the sheriff’s office is “committed to answering any lingering questions surrounding the case.”
“We understand the profound impact Hunter S. Thompson had on this community and beyond,” Buglione said. “By bringing in an outside agency for a fresh look, we hope to provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public.”
The review process is expected to take “an unspecified amount of time,” CBI said.
The voicemail for Anita Thompson was full and a text message was not immediately returned Tuesday. Thompson’s son, Juan, also did not return a text message for comment.
In a 2005 interview shortly after Thompson’s death, Anita told The Aspen Daily News that her husband killed himself while the two were talking on the phone.
“I was on the phone with him, he set the receiver down and he did it. I heard the clicking of the gun,” she told the newspaper.
The coroner did not order a toxicology report to reveal whether there were drugs or alcohol in Thompson’s body at the time of death, The Aspen Times reported. Thompson’s then 6-year-old grandson was also in the house.
Thompson is best known for “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” his quasifictional account of his drug-laced adventures in the city in 1972, after Sports Illustrated sent him to cover a motorcycle race. His story ended up in Rolling Stone and the book became a best seller.
The author ran for Pitkin County sheriff and lost in 1970. His campaign was captured in a documentary that was released in 2020 after filmmakers discovered seven hours of archival footage.
Months after his death, more than 200 friends, including Johnny Depp, who played Thompson in the movie of “Fear and Loathing,” John Kerry and Jack Nicholson, gathered at Thompson’s home in Woody Creek, and shot his ashes out of a 153-foot cannon under a full moon, Rolling Stone reported.